stack up

verb

stacked up; stacking up; stacks up

intransitive verb

1

: to add up

Cars were beginning to stack up behind the bus.

2

: to be in a particular state or situation

Here's how things stack up today.

3

: measure up, compare

—usually used with against

How does he stack up against the other job candidates?

Synonyms of stack up

• compare (with)
• measure up (to)

Examples of stack up in a Sentence

those newspapers have been stacking up in the basement since we moved here

Recent Examples on the Web

Chronic sleep deprivation raises the risk of high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain and depression, and for moms and dads juggling night feedings, school runs and work, those risks stack up fast. — Samantha Agate, Charlotte Observer, 11 Aug. 2026

As Todd Blanche officially takes over at the helm, the challenges for the Justice Department have been stacking up. — Jeremy Roebuck, Washington Post, 9 Aug. 2026

The Iran war has made financing Gulf solar and wind projects more difficult, but the economics still stack up firmly in their favor. — Dominic Dudley, semafor.com, 7 Aug. 2026

The Dodgers have more talent than anyone, but the Padres' roster stacks up fairly well, even if their team is underperforming once again. — David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 7 Aug. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1896, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for stack up

• backup
• blowup
• breakup
• buildup
• checkup
• cleanup
• holdup
• hookup
• lineup
• lockup
• makeup
• markup

Kids Definition

stack up

verb

: measure up sense 2, compare

see how you stack up against the champion